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DIRECTIVE No. 02/2003/CT-BKHCN OF FEBRUARY 12, 2003 ON THE WORK OF STANDARDIZATION, MEASUREMENT, QUALITY CONTROL AND CONSUMERS' INTEREST PROTECTION IN LOCALITIES IN 2003

In order to step up the standardization, measurement, quality control and customers' interest protection activities in localities in 2003, the Ministry of Science and Technology hereby requests the provincial/municipal Services of Science, Technology and Environment and Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control, according to their respective functions, to direct and draw up plans for concentrated implementation of the following work contents:

1. Work orientations in 2003

1.1. To continue implementing the decrees which guide the implementation of the Ordinance on Measurement and the Ordinance on the Protection of Consumers' Interests; and the Science and Technology Ministry's decisions on the work of quality management and measurement management.

1.2. To include standardization, measurement and quality control work into activities of enterprises, to further raise productivity, quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese products and goods along the direction of active integration into the regional and world economy.

1.3. To enhance the capacity and potential of the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control.

2. Regarding the work of dissemination of legal documents, technical regulations and standards

2.1. To disseminate the ordinances on goods quality, measurement and consumers' interest protection, and the Government's decrees and legal documents guiding the implementation thereof.

2.2. To organize the dissemination for application of Vietnamese standards (VNS), focusing on those VNS already harmonized with international standards and those VNS applicable to goods subject to standard compatibility certification and safety certification; and those VNS subject to compulsory application according to the requirements of State management over hygiene, safety and environmental protection. To announce relevant international standards which have just been promulgated.

2.3. To organize training courses on the work of standard formulation and application, measurement assurance and responsibilities of manufacturers before consumers and the society, for enterprises.

3. Regarding the standardization and quality control work

3.1. To guide enterprises to build establishments' standards, step up the standardization of establishments by mode of announcing goods quality standards and standard-compatible goods.

3.2. To announce quality standards and VNS-compatible goods under Decision No. 2425/2000/QD-BKHCNMT and Decision No. 2424/2000/QD-BKHCNMT of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. Pending the promulgation of the list of goods subject to compulsory announcement of standard-compatible goods, the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments shall actively mobilize production establishments to voluntarily announce their goods, which are up to the standards.

3.3. To make statistics of the system of local laboratories, and organize the exploitation thereof in preparation for the product quality certification in the coming time.

3.4. To actively guide enterprises in applying Vietnam's Quality Award criteria, promote the movement among enterprises to participate in Vietnam's Quality Award. In order to further step up this movement, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the General Department of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control shall soon supplement and/or amend the regulations on consideration and selection of Quality Awards and disseminate them in time to localities.

3.5. To further encourage and develop the application of the advanced quality management system (ISO 9000, ISO 14000, TQM, HACCP,...) by enterprises. To work out a program on efficient support for enterprises in the formulation and application of the quality management system. To create all conditions to support enterprises in manufacturing products and goods of high competitiveness on domestic and export markets.

3.6. To efficiently organize the inspection of import goods with suitable modes.

4. Regarding the measurement work

4.1. To continue implementing the program on equipping mobile expertise vehicles and installing comparison scales at trade centers.

4.2. To step up the expertise of measuring devices which must be expertised; consolidate and enhance the capabilities of expertise and standardization of measuring devices in general and equipment in service of goods quality management and consumers' interest protection in particular.

4.3. To expand the provincial/municipal Sub-Depart-ments' expertising network and well manage the operation of the units authorized to conduct expertise in localities.

4.4. To enhance the supervision of measurement of pre-packed goods, even the equipping of necessary measuring devices for the inspection of pre-packed goods.

5. Regarding the work of supporting enterprises

To enhance consultancy and technical assistance activities for enterprises, especially medium- and small-sized enterprises. Depending on each locality's conditions, to study and carry out schemes on establishing centers in support of medium- and small-sized enterprises.

6. Regarding the work of consumers' interest protection

6.1. To provide training on methods of inspecting pre-packed goods and measurement errors in retail trade to officials of the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control, specialized measurement inspection officials, market management officials..., conduct inspection of pre-packed goods right at all manufacturing and packaging enterprises as well as on markets.

To enhance the inspection of pre-packed goods and weighing in retail trade, and launch the movement to ensure that pre-packed goods and goods weighed in retail trade are in the right quantities.

6.2. To work out, and organize the implementation of, programs on the protection of consumers' interests, paying special attention to clean water and food safety.

7. Regarding the work of enhancing standardization, measurement and quality control potentials

To set aside proper part of funding for efficiently enhancing the material and technical bases and raising the qualifications of officials of the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control, including:

7.1. To additionally provide equipment, upgrade expertising rooms and laboratories, mobile expertising system, comparison scales, and means for inspecting pre-packed goods,... in service of the tasks of State management over quality and measurement.

7.2. To build, repair, renovate and expand the working offices in order to ensure necessary conditions for the expertise and standardization of measuring devices as well as goods quality test and environmental analysis.

7.3. To provide training on raising qualifications of officials and public servants of the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control to meet the working requirements, draw up plans on rejuvenation of the contingent of officials.

7.4. To deploy electronic informatic activities (Internet, e-mail) in order to get more information and update technical professional documents.

7.5. To actively participate in international cooperation activities (in ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, WTO,...) in order to have access to, and grasp integration trends, and improve the work of standardization, measurement and quality control in localities.

8. Regarding the organizational structure of the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control

8.1. The provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control shall, under the direction and guidance of the General Department of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control and the provincial/municipal Services of Science, Technology and Environment, directly organize and manage standardization, measurement and quality control as well as consumers' interests protection activities under the Government's assignment in strict accordance with law provisions.

8.2. Pending the guidance of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of the Interior on the organizational structure of local science and technology-managing apparatus, in order to ensure the synchronous arrangement of the organizational system of the Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control bodies after stabilizing the organizational structure of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the General Department of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control, and to avoid unnecessary changes in localities, the current organizational structure of the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control shall be temporarily kept intact until the Ministry of Science and Technology issues new regulations.

8.3. In order to enhance the efficiency of management activities, depending on their own specific conditions, the provincial/municipal Services of Science, Technology and Environment and Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control should organize the study and application of the quality management system under ISO 9000 standard.

9. Regarding working plans in 2003

On the basis of the above-said central tasks, the provincial/municipal Services of Science, Technology and Environment shall direct the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments in devising plans for 2003 and subsequent years according to the contents and forms guided by the Ministry of Science and Technology and sent to the provincial/municipal People's Committees and the Services of Science, Technology and Environment.

The Ministry of Science and Technology hereby assigns the General Department of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control and the provincial/municipal Services of Science, Technology and Environment to give guidance and create favorable conditions for the provincial/municipal Sub-Departments of Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control to perform the above-said jobs, sum up in time the situation, make necessary proposals and report them to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

For the Minister of Science and Technology

Vice Minister
BUI MANH HAI